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Daqiu Island

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Activities
Nature

Daqiu Island, located north of Beigan in Matsu (Lienchiang County), is an uninhabited island boasting rich ecological resources. It is most famous for its free-roaming Formosan Sika Deer (梅花鹿), earning it the nickname, "Taiwan's Nara."

The Sika deer population originated from a gift by the Taipei Zoo in the 1980s and has since multiplied to hundreds of animals. Visitors can walk along the ecological trails to observe, interact with, and even feed the deer with leaves at close range.

Daqiu Island was once inhabited, even having its own branch school. As residents gradually moved away, the island became uninhabited, but the ruins of the abandoned settlement remain, telling tales of its past.

The island features well-maintained circular hiking trails. Along the way, visitors can enjoy stunning coastal scenery, including sea-eroded landforms and dramatic cliff views. On clear days, it is also possible to spot the neighboring Gaodeng Island (高登島) in the distance. Summer is the prime time for bird watching, as boat trips to Daqiu often provide views of large flocks of terns (燕鷗) circling above the sea.

Phone

Beigan Township, Lienchiang County

Address

Beigan Township, Lienchiang County

Business hours

Mon. - Sun.00:00 - 12:00

Stay

2-3 hours

Tips

To visit Daqiu Island, you must take a ferry from Nangan or Beigan. Depending on the season, there are usually only one or two scheduled ferry services per day. It is highly recommended to check the schedule online in advance: https://www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/articles.aspx?a=3025&l=1

Nearby

Andong Tunnel

Of all the military tunnels in Taiwan, the Pescadores, Kinmen and Matsu, this one on Dongyin Island (東引) is the most physically demanding to visit. Andong Tunnel is located on the southeastern coast of Dongyin Island, next to a military training center. Even standing in the entrance of the tunnel, it can feel uncanny how well it has been recreated. If you are looking into the tunnel from this position, you will see a seemingly bottomless tunnel at a 30-degree angle. The stairs and the lighting equipment in the tunnel are prepared for visitors’ convenience and the deeper you walk, the dimmer and cooler the atmosphere becomes in the yellow light. It is as if you were in the middle of a war, and makes you better appreciate just how precious peace is.

The tunnel to get to the entrance of Andong tunnel is 260 meters long, and a total of 464 steps, so it not recommended for people with reduced mobility to enter its depths. If you have successfully navigated the steps, then you will be rewarded with a glimpse of the real Andong Tunnel which is 640 meters long and able to be explored in all directions. Several extensions of the tunnel even reach the coast. Besides military utilities, such as ammunition depots, soldier dormitories, a Zhongshan room (中山室), a piggery and canons, there is also a sea viewing platforms and steep cliffs. Every April, this is a great place for seeing seagulls. But don’t be too happy about viewing the beautiful scene because on the way back you have to overcome the physical challenge of walking 400 steps, and this time it is uphill! So before visiting, don’t forget to consider your physical condition.

Attractions

Dongquan Lighthouse

Dongquan Lighthouse is listed as a Class Two National Historical Site and is the most famous landmark on Dongju Island. Also known as Dongju Lighthouse, it is located on the northeast coast of the island. Dongquan Lighthouse has a 140-year-old history. It was built during the Qing dynasty as a result of the losses of the Opium War, when the Qing government was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing and all coastal ports were forced open. As a result of the British government asking for a lighthouse to point out the direction of Fuzhou, Dongquan Lighthouse was built. This is the first lighthouse to be constructed out of granite in Taiwan.

The body of the lighthouse is entirely white and there is an exhibition hall next to it which is also painted white. With the light blue skies and white clouds as its background, this place has an exotic feeling about it. If you were to put it in the same frame as the traditional buildings in the lower Fuzheng Village (福正聚落), you would find an interesting contrast in architecture. There is a white wall connecting the lighthouse with the exhibition hall which local people call the “Wall of White Hair” (白毛牆). Because Dongquan Lighthouse is located so high up, this wall was built to prevent the flame of the lighthouse keeper’s kerosene lamp being extinguished by the wind. The blue sky, white lighthouse, green grassland and purple Formosan Thistle merge together beautifully, creating a scene not to be missed.

Attractions

Dahan Stronghold

Dahan Stronghold is located near the Beihai Tunnel (北海坑道) and Nangan Tourist Center (南竿遊客中心) and is a strategically important tunnel on the south coast of Nangan Island in that it controls the waterways near Juguang Island (莒光島) to the south. Compared to the Beihai Tunnel, where boats can pass inside the tunnel, Dahan Stronghold is relatively simple. Originally built for military purposes, and created with dynamite explosions, most of it has been excavated with human labor. If you touch the cold, hard tunnel with your palm, it is as though you are feeling the suffering that went into its construction.

The stronghold is divided into three floors. After you walk into the entrance, you will find yourself on the lowest floor, where you can see the briefing room, Zhongshan room (中山室), warehouse and depots. At the end of the tunnel, there are some retired machine gun forts that have rotted on the outside and are pointed at the boundless sea. Here, you can feel a deep sense of the ephemeral nature of life. Walking upwards from the end of the tunnel, you will reach the middle floor which is for machine guns and an upper floor for military offices. The tunnel is 1.5 meters wide, 2 meters high and 150 meters long. On a clear day, Juguang Island is visible in the distance.

Attractions

Dabu Village

Dabu Village is on Dongyin Island and is the second largest traditional fishing village after Fuzheng Village (福正聚落). Dongyin Island is one of the most interesting sites of attraction. If you want to see a traditional Hokkien style village, then Dabu Village is a place that helps you understand how difficult life must have been in a fishing village. Fuzhou dialect is related to the Hokkien language. The word “bu” in the name Dabu means “fishing bay”. Dongyin has always been a place where the fish catch is plentiful and Dabu Village is situated in a natural fishing bay facing south. In order to make life in the fishing village adaptable to monsoons, locals have developed the practice of "living in Fuzheng Village in summertime and living in Dabu Village in wintertime" (「夏福正、冬大浦」). Because the fishing industry is in decline and many residents have now left, there are few still living in Dabu Village today. Therefore, you might notice the dilapidated houses alongside the White Horse King Temple (白馬尊王廟) which used to be busy but is now scarcely visited. This is a place of serenity that lends itself to imagining what once was. However, there is also a new energy in Dabu Village. Cafes with a retro atmosphere, and installation art on the corners of the streets show visitors that Dabu Village is ready for a new start.

Attractions

Crouching Crocodile

If you follow the Zhongzhu Sea Wall (中柱海堤) on Dongyin Island, it will be a short time before you reach Xiyin Island, where there is a viewing platform on the east coast of Cingshueiao (清水澳). Facing west, there is a mass of land extending to the sea which looks like a crouching crocodile, inspiring local people to call it Crocodile Island or Crouching Crocodile. This striking shape has spawned an interesting legend over the years. A long time ago, there was a ferocious big crocodile which came to Cingshueiao accompanied by fish in the river. He often made the lives of the fishermen miserable so the Jade Emperor eventually agreed to help overcome the crocodile, using his powers to make it part of the landscape. There is no use discussing the authenticity of this legend, but it is worth mentioning that this is a good place to view the sunset!

Attractions

Dongju Artillery Force

Not far from Dongquan Lighthouse (東犬燈塔), the landmark of Dongju Island is only five minutes by car from Fuzheng Village (福正聚落) and is called Dongju Artillery Force. This is a military point with an excellent view. The reason it is called “Artillery Force” is because there are two 155mm Long Tom canons acting as “door guards” outside it. As you wander around the area, you will see buildings covered in military camouflage. After a long period of disuse, the vines and bushes growing up the walls reduce its hostile atmosphere. The granite rocks on the coast have anti-landing spikes rising out of them. Although it is unlikely that war itself will break out, the spikes can be extremely dangerous at night, and even if you visit during the day, you have to be very careful. Seeing the spikes rising out of the ground, you can only imagine how tense it must have been here once. If you happen to visit at low tide, walk downhill to find a secret bay that is a wonderland for curious adventurers to appreciate the reefs and steep cliffs. But at high tide the bay is submerged by the sea and no longer visible - so remember to check the tide before you visit. This is also the perfect place for seeing Blue Tears (藍眼淚, a kind of florescent algae) on a summer evening.

Attractions